Alpine A110 axed after ADR changes

The reborn Alpine A110 is dead in Australia.

The retro, mid-engine coupe rival to the Porsche 718 Cayman doesn’t meet side-impact crash rules coming into force Down Under on November 1, 2021.

It launched in 2018, since which point just 83 have been sold according to VFACTS sales data.

That pales in comparison to the Porsche Cayman, which has racked up more than five times that sales figure since the A110 launched.

Like the Nissan GT-R, the A110 has fallen victim to Australian Design Rules for side-impact collisions.

ADR 85 side-impact regulations came into force for new vehicles introduced to Australia in 2017, but will apply to all passenger cars from later in 2021.

“ADR 85 reflects a regulation that is not being adopted globally at this point in time,” an Alpine spokesperson said.

“This adds further complexity to production for a country that represents approximately 1 per cent of the global market and already has unique design regulations required for the market.

“In short, it adds expense to cars that must be engineered specifically for the Australian market and rules out a number of models that should be here.

“Alpine will be dropped from the line up as a direct result of the regulation.”

Lexus has also been forced to cull the IS sedan, RC coupe, and CT hatch Down Under due to the new rules.

It’s not exactly clear what the future holds for Alpine in Australia.

The brand is being reinvented by Renault as an electric replacement for the current RenaultSport brand, and is expected to offer everything from a small hot hatch to an electric sports car.

“We are aware of the future, electric-only, model roll-out from Alpine and will communicate more information for the Australian market when appropriate,” the spokesperson said.

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